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TODAY'S NEWS

EMI withdraw from Southeast Asia

Sun readers fill the Opera House
Noel Gallagher pushed over
Lil Wayne back in court
KT Tunstall weds drummer, heads to Arctic
Single review: Moby Vs Freemasons - Disco Lies (Mute)
Razorlight announce third album
Domino to re-issue Robert Wyatt's back catalogue
Wichita release free compilation
iLiKETRAiNS return
Those Dancing Days single & tour
Levi's OnesToWatch revue
Matthew Jay tribute concert
Album review: Adventure - Adventure (Carpark Records)
MMF launch artist charter
ICM buy MVO
Questions asked about Nokia's publishing plans for Comes With Music
Former MTV man rumoured for MySpace Music top job
More on new Zunes
New Charts Company logo, official
Old revolution presenters plan revolution
Yahoo! say their ad network reaches 80% of UK web users
No more Led Zep, so shut up
Elton cancels Lily duet and tour
Madonna dedicates 'Like A Virgin' to Pope
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TUESDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER

Don't forget it's the CMU Social tonight at 229. You can still add yourself to the free guest list - just send an email with your name and the name of any guests to [email protected]. And make sure you get there early for the cheap drinks and legendary CMU Pop Quiz. Hurrah.

 

THE ALIENS
The Aliens formed in 2005, bringing together three former members of The Beta Band. Two of them, John Maclean and Robin Jones, made it to the bitter end with that act, while the third, Gordon Anderson, jumped ship after the first EP to perform as Lone Pigeon. The new band released their debut album, 'Astronomy For Dogs', in 2007. The album, and its infuriatingly catchy lead single, 'The Happy Song', won the band high acclaim. Now they are back with their second offering, 'Luna', which is released on 29 Sep. Before that comes the single 'Magic Man' on 22 Sep. We caught up with Robin to find out more.

 

Q1 How did you start out making music?
The Aliens started out making music as three long-time friends who shared a similar sense of humour and simply wanted to get back to enjoying the process of creating music - of course all that is out the window now and it's a bloody battle of wills once again.

Q2 What inspired your latest single?
'Magic Man' is all about illusion and this song is all about allusion. Like all great songs it's theme is none too specific - perhaps it alludes to you... (Alright, it's a song about Jesus).

Q3 What process do you go through in creating a track?
Gone seem to be the days of lurking round a scuzzy practice room jamming out a few loosely conceived riffs. Nowadays the process is much more protracted starting with a carefully engineered 'demo' proffered from one of the band members. This is then artfully ripped apart, embellished and reconstructed independently on home computers. The members now reconvene and in rapidly shifting allegiances seek to rubbish and mock the various new versions. With morale at an all time low the band crab walk into the nearest studio and painfully try to emulate sound for sound the original demo.

Q4 Which artists influence your work?
I'm mot sure who influences my work, but artists that influence my life might be Jimi Hendrix, The two Ronnies, Salvador Dali, Bob Dylan, John Steinbeck, Stanley Kubrick, Bill Drummond and the KLF, and probably basically anyone who tries to do anything.

Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
Keep calm.

Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest single/album, and for the future?
Those ambitions are already achieved - to make the best album we possibly could under the prevailing limitations. I suppose in the future blanket Alien world domination and stuff and perhaps one day to create a garden of unsurpassed natural beauty and depth. Oh yes and to live close to friends. A simple plan.

MORE>> www.thealiens.co.uk and www.myspace.com/thealiens1

 

THE FIGHTING COCKS
The Fighting Cocks have been tearing music apart for several years now, since the implosion of previous band Széki Kurva, the band that MJ Hibbett wrote his song 'Bands From London Are Shit' about. But stick with me for a moment, they aren't shit. In fact, the band's own cover of that song is very good. Their mix of punk, electro and just about every other genre they can find to sample is utterly unique and completely brilliant. There are no bands like The Fighting Cocks, partly because no one else has the balls to be like them and partly because no one else would be able to pull it off. Don't believe me? Just head over their MySpace page and download 'Love Somebody, Yes I Do' and then tell me they aren't geniuses. It's a song so perfectly pop that they had to insert swearing in the middle to stop it from getting radio play.

www.myspace.com/thefightingcocks



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Don't forget you can now check out CMU favourites old and new on CMU-Tube, our online music video service powered by MUZU.

On there right now you will find music from Atomic Hooligan, Frightened Rabbit, Kraak & Smaak, IAMX, G Love & Special Sauce and The Robocop Kraus, plus old favourites from Ben Folds, Scouting For Girls, Coldcut, Leftfield and Fiona Apple and live performances from MGMT, The Futureheads and Glasvegas. Listen to videos on demand, or just let the channel play. Check it all out at www.cmumusicnetwork.co.uk. For details of how to put your new releases forward for inclusion on the CMU-Tube email [email protected].

Meanwhile, keep an eye on the CMU Daily for details of new services available on the CMU-Tube, plus details of how you can get involved in the MUZU TV / CMU College Network. More details on which right now...

 
BECOME A CMU/MUZU COLLEGE CORRESPONDENT
MUZU TV has joined up with CMU and the College Media Network to set up a team of College Correspondents at universities across the UK and Ireland. We are looking for students interested in gaining skills and experience in music and media to work with the CMU team to help manage their local MUZU TV college channel. Correspondents will get to network with local music and media people, and influence the music played and artists featured on their local channel. They will also get loads of free training, and make lots of great contacts for a future career in the media or music industries. For more details and an application form go to www.collegemedianetwork.co.uk/muzu.
 

 


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EMI WITHDRAW FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA
In its latest round of cut backs, EMI has announced it is shutting a whole load of its operations in the Southeast Asian markets, handing over the marketing and distribution of its worldwide catalogue in those regions to Warner Music.

EMI's offices in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia are all affected. The major will keep a small marketing team in Hong Kong and a small A&R team in Indonesia, though the move is widely believed to mean the UK-based record company will not look to sign domestic talent in most of these countries at all. The major will, it says, continue to enter into global digital distribution deals that cover these territories.

The new arrangement with Warner is the opposite of an existing deal in India, the Middle East and North Africa, where EMI market and distribute Warner's physical products. Confirming they would be taking over these roles for EMI in the Southeast Asia region, Warner music Asia Pacific President Lachie Rutherford told reporters: "EMI's artists will now be able to fully leverage our South-East Asian operations, specifically our marketing teams and vast distribution network of traditional retail, wireless and online partners, through which we've seen great success in recent years".

It is not clear how many jobs will go as a result of EMI's cut backs in the region. The changes should not, however, impact on neighbouring EMI operations in other Asia/Pacific markets like India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

The restructure in Southeast Asia comes as part of the company-wide changes introduced by EMI's newish owners Terra Firma, changes which have seen job cuts throughout the year across the company's operations.

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SUN READERS FILL THE OPERA HOUSE
Say what you like about The Sun, but this publicity campaign is a goodun. A theatre full of Sun readers arrived at the Royal Opera House in London last night to see the first night of the theatre's latest production of 'Don Giovanni' following a special reader promotion where bargain tickets for the show were only available via the tabloid.

The promotion was part of an initiative by the Opera House to reach a whole new audience, and was subsidised by the Helen Hamlyn Trust to enable tickets that would normally go for well over a hundred quid to be sold for a tenner. And while some of the audience were clearly opera fans who had bought the tabloid specifically to get access to the bargain tickets, a big chunk were clearly Sun-reading first-timers at an opera, meaning the programme had achieved some of its aims.

Welcoming his audience, Royal Opera House boss Tony Hall said: "I hope for all of you that this is the start of a relationship. Please come back".

The opera was also screened in various Picturehouse cinemas around the UK as part of that previously reported opera-on-screen programme.

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NOEL GALLAGHER PUSHED OVER
So, there may be some dispute over whether or not Akon did punch and/or push anyone at that gig in South America last week, but there is no doubt that Noel Gallagher got done good and proper at the Virgin Festival in Toronto, when a man - called Daniel Sullivan, apparently - ran on stage and pushed him over. There were reports that Sullivan, who was later charged with assault, then tried to square off to Liam, but it seems in reality he just ran towards the frontman. Several security guards had jumped on him before he reached the other Gallagher brother. With Sullivan dragged off stage, the band then continued their set.

Watch it here

The band later issued a statement saying: "Noel Gallagher was attacked by an unidentified man during the band's show in Toronto [he's since been identified, in case you thought we made up the name Daniel Sullivan]. While Noel and the band were performing 'Morning Glory', the assailant ran on from the back of the stage and pushed Noel from behind, who fell heavily on to his monitor speakers. Despite his injuries, Noel returned to the stage a few minutes later to complete the band's set but was taken to hospital after the show to be examined for a suspected fractured rib and ligament damage. No decision has been made regarding Tuesday's concert in London, Ontario, but fans are urged to keep checking the band's website at Oasisinet.com and local media for updates".

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LIL WAYNE BACK IN COURT
Ah, the life of a celebrity, eh? One day you can be performing at the MTV VMAs and picking up the award for Best Hip Hop Video, and then the next your up in court on weapons charges.

Yes, Lil Wayne was back in court yesterday in that ongoing and much reported court case where he stands accused of carrying illegal drugs and a .40 caliber pistol on his tour bus when it was search by police after a gig in Manhattan in July 2007. He was charged with illegal possession of a weapon, although no drugs charges were brought against him.

At a pre-trial hearing yesterday, Officer Diane Hornung testified that she had boarded the bus after smelling marijuana smoke that had wafted out of the door. She then ordered everyone off the bus and headed to the toilet, where she found a man trying to flush a sandwich bag of the drug away. She added that she then saw Lil Wayne in a bedroom at the back of the bus trying to hide a bag, in which she found the handgun.

Despite Hornung's testimony, Wayne's lawyer Stacey Richman later got her to admit that she hadn't actually seen anyone smoking marijuana on the bus. Richman then argued that the case should be dismissed as Hornung's admission proved, she said, that the search had been illegal without probable cause.

No decision was made on this yesterday. The case will continue tomorrow.

Outside the court, Richmond told MTV: "There was direct testimony of one of the detectives [involved in Wayne's arrest], and then the cross-examination of the detective was begun. But then the district attorney wasn't available in the afternoon, so we broke until Wednesday".

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KT TUNSTALL WEDS DRUMMER, HEADS TO ARCTIC
KT Tunstall and her drummer Luke Bullen went and got themselves married at a ceremony on the Isle Of Skye on Saturday. Which is all well and good, but what is she doing about global warming? That's what I want to know.

Well, later this month, on 25 Sep, Tunstall, along with Jarvis Cocker, Martha Wainwright and Laurie Anderson, as part of a 40-strong crew of musicians, journalists, scientists and artists, will embark on an expedition to the North Pole to raise awareness of global warming.

A spokesman for the charity organising the whole thing, Cape Farewell, told The Daily record: "The ambition of our seventh expedition is to inspire the creative team to respond to climate change both in the Arctic and on their return. The climate challenge is a cultural one, it is the way we have evolved our lives and values that is the cause of climate change".

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SINGLE REVIEW: Moby Vs Freemasons - Disco Lies (EMI/Mute)
Listening to this cheesy dance remix of 'Disco Lies' you have to wonder if Moby has ever been to Faliraki - "Oi baldy, trouble so hard, yer get it, yer get it?". And then an overweight piss head is sick in her own thong. Definitely Moby's scene. Unlikely maybe, but this Freemason remix slaps 'cheap commercial dance song' all over Moby's track. Latest album 'Last Night' may been too cool for its own good, but at least its tracks didn't banally tick the dance song check list like this version of 'Disco Lies': sexy whispering (check), sultry female vocal (check), epic synths (check), the same, damn, dance beat every hit dance song uses (check). It's even got a stereotypically quirky, soon-to-be referenced in Nuts, promo video (giant chicken in pimp costume kills Colonel Sanders). But it featured in that edgy 'Cloverfield' movie, so Moby's saved his New York hipster chic, right? Expect to hear "It's just a lie" being bawled from Ibiza to Zante very soon. RL
Release Date: 15 Sep
Press Contact: Mute IH [NP, RP], Nile-on [O]

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RAZORLIGHT ANNOUNCE THIRD ALBUM
Razorlight have announced that they will release their third album, 'Slipway Fires', on 3 Nov. It will be preceded by a single, 'Wire To Wire', on 27 Oct, which got its first airplay on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show last night. They will also play a gig at The Forum in London on 2 Oct.

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DOMINO TO RE-ISSUE ROBERT WYATT'S BACK CATALOGUE
Domino Records have announced that they will release the much sought after back catalogue of Robert Wyatt over the coming months on CD and vinyl. The re-issues will be preceded by a single, 'This Summer Night', on 20 Oct, and brought to a close with the release of a Wyatt box set in December.

Details of the releases and release dates are as follows:

27 Oct: 'Drury Lane', 'Rock Bottom', 'Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard', 'Nothing Can Stop Us'
17 Nov: 'Old Rottenhat', 'Dondestan', 'Shleep', 'EPs', 'Cuckooland'

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WICHITA RELEASE FREE COMPILATION
Witchita Recordings have released a free-to-download compilation of some of their best artists. There probably isn't much else I need to say, other than Wichita are ace. You can download the compilation from www.wichita-recordings.com/freemusic.

Tracklisting:

Those Dancing Days - Tasty Boy
Lovvers - Human Hair
Sky Larkin - Molten
Los Campesinos! - How I Taught Myself To Scream
The Bronx - Knifeman
Les Savy Fav - Meet Me In The Dollar Bin
Conor Oberst - I Don't Want To Die (In The Hospital)
Peter Moren - Tell Me In Time
Greg Weeks - Burn The Margins
Euros Childs - Saving Up To Get Married
Meg Baird - Maiden in the Moor Lay
The Dodos - Paint The Rust
Peter Bjorn & John - Inland Empire
Simian Mobile Disco - I Got This Down (Invisible Conga People Mix)
Her Space Holiday - The Year In Review

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ILIKETRAINS RETURN
iLiKETRAiNS have announced their return with a string of UK tour dates, although they will be without cornet player Ashley Dean, who recently left the band. There will be a new release from the band in December.

Tour dates:

5 Dec: Hastings, The Crypt
6 Dec: Norwich, Arts Centre
7 Dec: Bristol, Louisiana
9 Dec: Southampton, Joiners Arms
10 Dec: London, 93 Feet East
11 Dec: Leeds, The Brudenell
13 Dec: Manchester, Ruby Lounge
14 Dec: Dundee, Dexters
15 Dec: Glasgow, King Tuts
16 Dec: Newcastle, The End

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THOSE DANCING DAYS SINGLE & TOUR
CMU's favourite Swedish schoolgirls - oh wow, did I actually just say that? - Those Dancing Days are back with a new single, album and UK tour over the coming months. The new single, 'Home Sweet Home', is out on 29 Sep. The album, 'In Our Space Hero Suits', is out on 6 Oct, and the band kick off their UK tour later that same month.

When we asked guitarist Rebecka Rolfart what influenced the album recently, she told CMU: "I would say it is influenced by life and pretty boys". So, there you have it.

Tour dates:

21 Oct: London, KCLSU
22 Oct: Manchester, The Deaf Institute
23 Oct: Cardiff, Barfly
23 Nov: Bristol, Thekla
25 Nov: Leeds, The Cockpit
27 Nov: Sheffield, Fuzz Club
28 Nov: Lancahster, Library
29 Nov: Newcastle, The Other Rooms
30 Nov: Glasgow, Stereo

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LEVI'S ONESTOWATCH REVUE
Levi's OnesToWatch is back for another series of gigs from upcoming artists this month, with a 5 Night Revue taking over The Macbeth in Hoxton for, er, five nights. Last year's showcase artists included Ida Maria, Foals and The Wombats, so take note.

The full line-up is this:

22 Sep: Bombay Bicycle Club + Sky Larkin
23 Sep: Iglu & Hartley + Micachu
24 Sep: Broken Records + TBC
25 Sep: Esser + Your Twenties
26 Sep: Metronomy + Tubelord

So, provided you don't accidentally catch any of Iglu & Hartley's set, you're in for five nights of fun and great music.

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MATTHEW JAY TRIBUTE CONCERT
Matthew Jay, who died tragically just over five years ago just as his career was beginning to take off, will be remembered at a special tribute gig at the Shepherds Bush Empire on 10 Oct, which would have been his 30th birthday.

Performing on the night will be Squeeze's Chris Difford, Starsailor frontman James Walsh, Kathryn Williams & Neill Maccoll, Passenger, Ben Dlugokecki, Helen Boulding, Flamboyant Bella and Vasco. The latter, along with Matthew's brother Eddy, completed the recording of some of Jay's unfinished demos, which were discovered by his family and released as an album, 'Further Than Tomorrow', earlier this year.

All proceeds from the gig will be donated to Amnesty International and UNICEF.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Adventure - Adventure (Carpark Records)
24 year-old chip-tune artist Adventure releases his debut this month, with an eponymous release that aims to take you on an adventure through your video gaming youth. This album is at times eerie, filled with characteristics of classical music ranging from the baroque to pure minimalism, but injected with a taste of 8-bit gaming soundtracks. 'Adventure' is almost theatrical in nature, feeling like it was meant to progress to include a visual phase rather than remaining simply as an audio outlet. 'Poison Diamonds' conjures images of what could happen if the 'Fellowship Of The Ring' was digitalised, given LSD, and then sent off to Mordor, whilst 'Hyper Glow' picks up the pace of the adventure (pun intended), adding in a frighteningly forceful beat which drives the album forward. Those who criticise the repetitive nature of music like this seem to be missing the point. The tracks themselves are not separate outlets for Adventure's music, but instead they are chapters in what amounts to one extended song over the entirety of the album. It is almost impossible to distinguish between the songs because the album flows seamlessly together. Listening to it is like listening to the Nintendo-loving adolescent inside each of our heads screaming, "Yes" in unison. Be warned however. Adventure may actually catalyse what can only be described as a "head orgasm", as the simultaneous whirrs and bleeps leave you catatonic, lost in dreams of dragons, castles, and Sega Megadrives. TA
Release Date: 15 Sep
Press Contact: In-house Press [all]

Buy from iTunes
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MMF LAUNCH ARTIST CHARTER
The Music Managers Forum is urging artists to sign up to an 'artist charter' put together at an MMF organised brainstorming session involving 100+ artists and managers last week. The charter will demand that artists' rights are given more attention in a record industry which, some argue, has become too focused on maximising the profits to be made from blanket catalogue-wide deals with digital content providers instead of working with individual artists for mutual gain. Yeah, good luck with that. The charter will be formally launched at next month's In The City convention in Manchester.

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ICM BUY MVO
Talent agency International Creative Management, or ICM to its friends, has announced it has expanded its US live music division by acquiring the Marsha Vlasic Organisation, which acts as agent for the likes of Ben Folds, Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Moby, Muse, Neil Young, Ozzy Osbourne, Regina Spektor, the Strokes and Van Morrison. Vlasic herself will re-join ICM (she worked for them in the eighties) as a Senior VP Of Concerts, and will be based at the company's New York offices.

Confirming the acquisition, ICM President Chris Silbermann told Billboard: "We're really into growing our business right now, especially the music business. Marsha is such a great mentor to people, with such a great name, and she's very culturally consistent with what we want right now. This is not just about bringing a client list. Great agents always have that balance between fiercely independent and entrepreneurial and also working within a culture and a construct. I think maybe she saw in us somewhere she could grow and keep that independent spirit and entrepreneurialism while accessing a lot of the stuff we've been doing, like international, branding, and tour sponsorships".

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QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT NOKIA'S PUBLISHING PLANS FOR COMES WITH MUSIC
More chatter about the deals behind Nokia's much hyped Comes With Music which, as previously reported, is set to premiere here in the UK this Autumn.

Amid speculation that the phone firm must be making a loss on the mobile handsets that come with unlimited free access to a large catalogue of digital music, those in the publishing sector are more concerned with the fact negotiations between Nokia and the music publishers are ongoing. Some reckon it's a bit premature to be announcing the launch of the music filled phones - Carphone Warehouse are already taking orders - when only deals with the record companies, and not the publishers, are in place.

Music Week quote one source in the publishing sector thus: "The announcement by Nokia is a bit premature because the publishing deal has not been finalised yet. There's been a lot of talk about getting the major labels on board for Comes With Music, but as ever publishing seems to have been an afterthought".

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FORMER MTV MAN RUMOURED FOR MYSPACE MUSIC TOP JOB
According to the New York Post, Andy Schuon, a former boss at MTV and the International Music Feed, is favourite to take the top job at MySpace Music, the social networking firm's JV with the major record companies which plans to launch a fully integrated networking, music preview and recommend and download platform. Schuon is currently co-head at C Student Entertainment, a youth focused radio and mobile content provider in the US.

Schuon isn't the first exec linked to the still empty top job at MySpace's music division, with former Yahoo! Music boss Ian Rogers and former AOL man Jim Bankoff both previously rumoured to be under consideration.

Elsewhere in MySpace Music rumours, it's thought Amazon may provide the download store element, while MySpace's sister company Jamba is expected to offer mobile services.

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MORE ON NEW ZUNES
More on those revamped Microsoft Zune players, more details on which were released yesterday, ahead of today's high profile Apple press event to showcase the latest iPod devices.

The new range of Zune players includes five devices ranged from 4 to 120 GB in terms of memory, and $129 and $249 in terms of price. Other new functionality includes the ability to stream and download songs in WiFi zones, a proprietary recommendation service, presumably a bit like last.fm and Pandora, and a clever thing that enables users to tag songs they hear on any FM radio station, and then link to the track in Microsoft's Zune Marketplace download platform.

Talking of the Marketplace, the IT firm says that two thirds of its download catalogue is now available without DRM, though, for reasons best know to those "yeah, we'll make the right decision but then do nothing about it for a year" record companies, all music from Universal and SonyBMG still has digital rights management controls embedded. Nutters.

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NEW CHARTS COMPANY LOGO, OFFICIAL
The Official Charts Company has got a new logo. Oh, and a new name. There used to be a 'UK' in there somewhere. The new logo aims to emphasise the "official" nature of the charts the company compiles. This has been done by making the word "official" bigger. Brilliant.

The official MD of the Official Charts Company, Martin Talbot, told reporters, officially: "The rebranding reflects the consumer research which we conducted earlier this year, which indicated that the 'official' nature of our charts sets us apart from the rest of the field. Over the coming months, we will look to reinforce the power of this brand - and our status as the suppliers of official charts and data for both the music and video businesses".

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OLD REVOLUTION PRESENTERS PLAN REVOLUTION
Presenters recently axed from Oldham's alternative radio station The Revolution (some actually quit) - which has been bought by Steve Penk and will relaunch with a new more mainstream format and line up this month, headlined by that talented radio host, erm, Steve Penk - are setting up a rival online radio station that, they say, will be true the old Revolution format which they, unlike Penk, thought was rather good.

A MySpace page has been set up announcing the new service, to be called Radio Republic, and inviting investors to put some money in the jar to help get the new old service off the ground. Former Revolution presenters signed up to the new online service include Phil Beckett, Martin Coogan, Cottee, Mike Joyce, Mani, Mick Ferry, Scott Carey, Kati, Alex Carter and Broady, Graeme Hawley and Jeff Hordley, Mark and Leon, Tom and Gnash.

Asked about the radical and overnight format change he instigated at The Revolution the minute he claimed ownership, Penk told the Guardian: "There had to be a point where the music changed overnight, for the good of the station. It's very well fans of that type of music saying that it's the only radio station like that in the north-west but the reality was that no bugger was listening. We have to generate listeners and revenue. It had become like a private club, it sounded like an exclusive club that a small group of people enjoyed but the majority shunned. The latest Rajars support that. The figures have gone off a cliff. I had to make immediate changes and the policy is now more mainstream".

I like the idea of those former presenters really pissing Penk off. though, alas, given The Revolution's recent RAJAR figures, he is right to say a major format change was probably required to make the commercial station financially viable. Whether an online version of the old format can survive I don't know. The problem, you see, is that with the exception of old-style Revolution listeners and, of course, every single one of you CMU Daily readers, everyone else in the world has a shit taste in music. It's true.

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YAHOO! SAY THEIR AD NETWORK REACHES 80% OF UK WEB USERS
Yahoo! launched a new online ad network yesterday which it claims reaches more than 80% of the UK's web users. The network includes Yahoo's own sites - the main Yahoo! site, Yahoo! mail and Flickr - plus a load of affiliate websites including Loot, Five and BT.com. Together the network, Yahoo! says, has a reach of over 29 million monthly users.

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NO MORE LED ZEP, SO SHUT UP
Jimmy Page has said that there will be no more Led Zep reunions and they aren't recording new material either, despite constant rumours to the contrary.

He told reporters at the Toronto International Film Festival, where he was promoting new documentrary, 'It Might Get Loud': "We're not actually recording. Playing at the O2, that was our reunion and it was one day and it was at the O2 in London. And basically that was it because if you're going to do a reunion, you need four members. John Paul Jones, myself and Jason would sort of jam afterwards but it was nothing as monumental as people are speculating".

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ELTON CANCELS LILY DUET AND TOUR
"Elton John and I are friends. Elton and I exchanged jokes and there were no hard feelings at all". That's what Lily Allen said about her much publicised onstage argument with Elton John at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards. However, it seems Elton doesn't feel quite the same way.

Speaking to The Daily Star, he said: "I was thinking about asking her to tour with me and maybe even do a duet. Obviously that won't be happening now".

Just in case you missed it, this is why the duet is off: www.youtube.com/watch?v=at_ea_U8U3w

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MADONNA DEDICATES 'LIKE A VIRGIN' TO POPE
Madonna has caused a bit of a stir by dedicating 'Like A Virgin' to the Pope when she played in Rome on Saturday.

Introducing the song, she said: "I dedicate this song to the Pope, because I'm a child of God. All of you are also children of God".

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